The link between poor eyesight and hay fever

The weather forecast is getting nicer with warm, sunny days coming up; this is excellent news for everyone…except for those who suffer from the symptoms of hayfever. Here we give you some advice on how to help your eyes during the hayfever season.

What is Hayfever?

Hay fever is an allergic reaction that occurs when different types of pollen in the air cause individuals to suffer from common conditions such as sneezing, itchy throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, and difficulty breathing. These pollen grains can also cause eye allergy symptoms, making the eyes moist, red, and itchy. This is caused by an allergic conjunctivitis reaction. The conjunctiva is the transparent membrane covering the whites of the eyes. Severe symptoms can be swollen eyes and eyelids and a gritty feeling in the eyes.

How to help your eyes

The hayfever allergy season can run from Spring to Autumn, so follow some of these tips to help prevent/alleviate hay fever causing eye symptoms.

• Keep an eye on the pollen forecast during the weather reports on TV and radio – this can give you advance notice of when to take action.
• The pollen count is at its highest/worse around mid-morning and early evening. If possible, avoid outdoor allergens by staying indoors (with doors and windows closed).
• Wear your glasses or sunglasses – if you are outside (styles with more wraparound features are best), and avoid wearing your contact lenses to protect your eyes. 
• Flush your eyes with cold water or eye wash to wash the eye’s surface to prevent exposure to pollen.
• Apply petroleum jelly to your nostrils to trap pollen.
• When indoors, dust ornaments and clean floors and surfaces with a damp cloth to remove pollen grains. 

Effective treatment for a hayfever allergic reaction

Sometimes there is no avoiding being outside during the pollen seasons, so here are some hay fever treatments to try:

• If you experience inflammation or swelling of the eyes, then try using a cold compress or cooled eye drops to reduce this eye condition.  
• Anti-allergy eye drops can help treat symptoms before they start by stopping the allergic reaction from starting.
• You can reduce severe symptoms from taking effect if you use antihistamine eye drops/ antihistamine medicine.

If you require more advice on treatments for hay fever symptoms to improve your daily lives with these seasonal allergies, then please do not hesitate to ask for help from your local mobile opticians at Opticall. We will be able to advise on effective treatments or refer you to a doctor if we feel you will benefit from prescribed allergy medications. Please call us on 02089984228 to talk to a home-visiting eye doctor today.

For more advice on helping your eyesight with exposure to allergens due to hayfever, please check out these links:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/

https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/news/hay-fever